Stereotype-plate-finishing machine.



A. A. HENZI.

STEREOTYPE PLATE FINISHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1. 1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

Patented Feb. 4, 1919.

MW Q

INVENTOR WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS A. A. HENZI.

STEREOTYPE PLATE FINISHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-1.19M}.

1,293,450 Patented Feb. 4, 1919.

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' ATTOR A. A. HENZI. STEREOTYPE PLATE FINISHING MACHINE,

APPLICATION FILED NOV.

3 SH EETSSHF.ET 3.

Patented Feb. 4, 1919.

WITNESSES:

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ALBERT A. HENZI, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 GOSS PRINTING PRESS COMPANY, A. CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

STEREOTYIPE-PLATE-FINISHING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Fe. 4 1919.

Application filed November 1, 1916. Serial No. 128,829.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT A. HnNzI, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stereotype Plate Finishing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to machines for opcrating upon stereotype plates, and more particularly to means for regulating and controlling the passage of the plates through the machine, and for regulating and controlling either manually or automatically the duration of the action of the cooling means upon the trimmed plate.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereinafter, and in part will be obvious herefrom, the same being attained through the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements hereinafter shown and described.

The accompanying drawings, herein referred to and constituting a part hereof, illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and together with the description serve to explain the principles thereof.

Of the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, with parts in section, and parts broken away, of a machine constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line A E of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail top plan, with the center broken out, corresponding to the upper part of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail, with the center broken out, of the plate conveying carriage in the upper position when not engaged with a plate; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail showing the release at the cooling station of the plate from the conveyer.

Referring to the exemplified embodiment of the accompanying drawings, and in accordance with certain features of the invention, it is applied to and embodied 111 a machine of the manually controlled type, and

further in the present exemplification, it applied to a machine in whlch the plate is rotated in a cylinder or barrel past stationary saws which trim the beveled, arcuate edges of the plate, and past fixed cutters which trim or plane the internal ribs of the plate. In the accompanying drawings many parts of such a machine are omitted, being well known and a showing thereof being unnecessary to an understanding of the present invention.

In supplying plates to the plate trimming devices in the present embodiment, the plates are deposited with their straight edges resting in guideways 2 formed in the top of a table 1, and which direct the plates into the machine. The stereotype plate is thus brought into position, as shown in broken lines at a in Fig. 1, within the rotatable cylinder 3.

Manually operated means are employed in the illustrated embodiment for clamping the stereotype plate in the cylinder 3, and for causing and controlling the rotation of the cylinder to carry the plate past the stationary rotating saws, located within casings at and 5. The embodied form of such means comprises a rod 6 provided with a knob or end-piece 7 the rod 6 being mounted for longitudinal slidable movement in bearings 8 and 9 upon the frame members 10 and 11, within which frame members the rotatable cylinder 3 is supported. The plate clamping device comprises a spring 12 and a toggle 13, the toggle being broken by an arm 14: fixed to the longitudinally slidable rod 6 at 15. This plate clamping mechanism is substantially the same as that shown in U. S. Patent No. 1,126,74.-1 dated February 2, 1915, and need not be described in further detail.

The cylinder 3 is rotated by a continuously driven gear ring 16, which ring is driven from any suitable motor by means of a worm 17 and other intervening driving members. The cylinder 3 is clutched to the ring 16 through the movement of the rod 6, the cylinder 3 then making one revolution, during which the plate is trimmed along its arcuate end edges and is planed along its internal ribs. The cylinder 3 is automatically nnclutched and brought to rest at the end of one revolution, the plate a so trimmed and planed, being then ready to be forward: ed from this finishing station to the cooling station. The form of clutch controlling means shown is substantially the same as that in the aforesaid United States Patent No. 1,126,741, and need not be described in detail, the clutch-controlling cam upon the slida-ble rod 6 being indicated by 18, and the swinging spring-pressed latch which controls the clutch member at the point of engagement being indicated by 19.

Itis desirable and advantageous in machines of this kind to maintain a plate at the cooling station for a longer period than that required for trimming and finishing the next succeding plate. Heretofore such machines have removed each plate from the plate trimming or finishing position a within the cylinder 3 to the cooling position Z) immediately upon the release of the plate at the completion of the plate trimming or finishing operation, thereby necessitating the simulantaneous removal of the previously trimmed plate from the cooling position to the delivery position. In previous machines also, the forwarding of the successive plates from the finishing position to the cooling position, and from the cooling position to the delivery position has been effected in a fixed or predetermined time or sequence in the machine without control or regulation by the operator.

By the present invention means are provided whereby the time of forwarding a trimmed stereotype plate from the finishing station is optionally controlled by the operator or left to the machine in automatic sequence, and. whereby the plates thus are allowed optionally to remain for a longer period at the cooling station to be more thoroughly acted upon by the cooling means.

The forwarding of a plate from the cooling position to the delivery position is likewise and correspondingly under the regulation and control of the operator.

In the embodied form of means for effecting the foregoing objects and functions, a single conveyer is employed to convey a plate from the finishing station a to the cooling station Z) and therefrom to the delivery station 0 after the plate has been cooled by the cooling devices. In the embodied form of such means, a horizontal guideway 30 is arranged longitudinally at the top of the machine. Within the guideway 30 is a longitudinally slidable geartoothed bar 31, with which bar meshes a gear wheel 32, the gear wheel 32 rotating to and r0 to give the requisite longitudinal reciprocatory movement to the bar 31. The gear wheel 3:2 is so rotated in both directions by suitable mechanism (not shown) and which may be similar to that shown in U. S. Patent No. 1,126,771, dated February 2, 1915.

Fixed to andcarried by the sliding bar 31 is a plate-conveying carriage 33, positioned on bar 31 to travel to and fro between the finishing station and the cooling station. A

longitudinally disposed plate engaging member 34 is movably carried by the car riage 33. The member 34 at its left-hand end has a hook or detent 35, adapted to engage with the underside of the stereotype plate at the finishing station and to draw it along upon suitable guideways or trackways 36 and 37 to the cooling station. The plate engaging member 34 is pivotally carried by arms 38 and 39, which arms are pivotally mounted on the carriage, 33. The arm 39 has fixed thereto an arm 40, which arm is acted upon by spring 41, which tends to maintain the member 34 in an elevated position as shown in Fig. When in this elevated position, the member 34 is above the top of any stereotype plate or plates resting upon the guideways 36 and 37, and will travel idly, clear of the plates at the finishing and cooling and delivery stations.

In the embodied form of controlling means for the plate conveying means, a longitudinally slidable rod 45 is mounted in suitable supporting brackets 46 fixed to the supporting structure for the guideway 30. The rod 45 is provided with a'knob 47 for the hand of the operator. Carried by rod 45 is a roller 48, which roller works in an inclined slot 49, formed in a vertically slidable tripper or control 50. The tripper 50 is mounted by a dove-tail bearing 51 upon the machine frame so as to have vertical. movement due to the horizontal movement of roller 48 in inclined slot 49 as rod 45 is moved to the right or to the left in Figs. 1 and 4.

The tripper 50 has its lower end 53 projecting inwardly (Figs. 3 and 4) to engage with the inclined surface 54 at the left hand end. in Fig. 4 of the plate engaging and conveying member 34, to control the position or level of the conveyer to permit or prevent its taking a plate from the finishing position. When the tripper 50 is in the lowermost position (that is, when rod 45 is at the left, as in Fig. 4), conveyer will move forward, and engaging member 53 will be depressed so much that hook 35 will be too low to engage the plate a at the finishing station. As the carriage 33 reverses its movement and the idle conveyer 34 passes out of engagement with tripper 50, spring 41 will again raise the conveying member 34 up to the position where it will pass above and clear of a plate which might be at the cooling station.

lVhen the tripper 50 is in raised position, (when the rod 45 is pushed to the right, as in Fig. 1) it will depress the member 34 only sufficiently so that the beveled end of hook 35 will engage with the edge of the stereotype plate a, and will spring downwardly slightly and engage within a recess on the underside of the stereotype plate. On the reversal of the travel of conveyer 34,

naeaaso it thus Will convey the stereotype plate to the cooling position. When the member 34 is in this plate engaging and conveying position, and in traveling toward the right in Fig. 1, it will remain sufficiently depressed to engage a plate which may be at the cooling station I) and will push it ahead to the delivery station 0, and will leave at the cool ing station 6 the plate just conveyed from the. finishing station a.

a Means are also provided coiiperating with the mechanism just described for automatically setting the machine so that no plate or plates will be conveyed from the finishing station to the cooling station and from the cooling station to the delivery station until set by the operator to again convey the plates. In the embodied form thereof, a lever 60 is pivotally mounted at 61 upon the rear end of the machine frame. One arm of the lever is in contact with the end of rod 45, the other end of the lever 60 is in contact with a sliding rod 62, which rod is slidably mounted in a bracket 63 upon the machine frame. Mounted upon the carriage 33 is a guiding bracket 64, within which is a vertically slidable latch 65. The lower end of the latch 65 coiiperates with a cam arm 66, which is fixed to shaft 67 of the rocker arm 39 of the plate conveyer 34.

' When the mechanism is positioned so that the plate conveyer 34 will take a stereotype plate at the finishing station and convey it to the cooling station, the rod 45 is in the right-hand or rearward position as shown in Fig. 1, also the conveyer 34 is at the position or level shown in Fig. 1, and the cam arm 66 is in its upper position (Figs. 1 and 5), and the latch 65 is thereby lifted into position to engage the forward or left-hand end of the bar or rod 62. The bar 62 will thus be moved to the right in Fig. 1 and lever 60 will he thereby rocked into the position shown in Fig. 3. Rod 45 will be slid forward or to the left, and tripper 50 will be depressed. Conveyer 34 upon. its next forward travel will be engaged by the end 53 of tripper 50, and will be depressed sufficiently far to prevent its engaging a stereotype plate at the finishing station. Whenever the operator wishes the conveyer to take a plate at the finishing station, he pushes or sets the handle 47 of the bar 45 to the right in Figs. 1 and 3, thereby again raising the plate 50. The conveyor 34 is then just sufficiently depressed to take a plate at the finishing station. Thus when the operator is ready to introduce a new plate into the finishing cylinder 3, if there is a plate at the finishing station, he pushes handle 45, and the plate will be conveyed to the cooling station, and the plate at the cooling station will be conveyed to the delivery station.

When the carriage 33 is not conveying a plate from the finishing station to the cooling station, the plate engaging member 34 will be in raised position, as shown in Fig. 4, and cam arm 66 will be in its downward position, and consequently latch 65 will be depressed, and will not engage bar 62 to move rod 45, the conveyer passing above a plate which may be at the cooling station, and the plate 50 depressing the conveyer at the finishing position to the nonplate taking position.

The conveyer 34 is disengaged from the stereotype plate at the cooling station by a tripping block 76, fixed to the machine frame. The arm 40 engages with block 7 6 and is thereby tilted forward, releasing the plate, as shown in Fig. 5. When block 76 is passed, spring 41 raises conveyer 34 so that it will pass above and clear of the stereotype plate on its return travel (Fig. 4). The latch 65 is also thereby-dropped to disengaging position, but will be lifted to engaging position again when the conveyer takes a plate at the finishing station.

Means are shown for preventing the insertion of a new plate into finishing cylinder 3 while a plate is being drawn therefrom. This mechanism is substantially the same as is shown in U. S. Patent No. 1,126,983, and comprises a roller 77 on a lever 78, connected by a rod 79 to a stop lever 80. When a plate is passing out of the finisher, it engages roller 77, rocks lever 78, and throws stO-p lever 80 down to prevent the introduction of another plate until the preceding plate passes from beneath roller 77.

The cooling means shown herein comprises a rotating brush 70 mounted in bearings 71 and 7 2, and driven by a belt or chain 73 or other suitable device, the brush 70 is provided with moisture in a suitable manner, as by pipe 74, and by tank 75.

From all the foregoing it will be understood that a mechanism has been supplied realizing the objects and advantages herein set forth, together with other objects and advantages. It will be further understood that changes within the scope of the appended claims may be made from the precise construction shown and described, without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A stereotype plate machine including in combination a stereotype trimming station provided with plate trimming means, a cooling station, plate conveying means adapted to remove a plate from the cooling station when it also removes a plate from the trimming station to the cooling station, and means controlled by the operator for permitting or preventin the conveying means taking a plate from t e trimming station.

2. In a machine for operating upon stereotype plates wherein the plates are manually introduced into the plate trimming means, plate trimming means, manually controlled means for causing the trimming means to trim the plate, conveying means, and manually controlled means for causing the conveying means to take a plate away from the finishing means.

3. A stereotype plate machine including in combination a plate trimming station, means for conveying a trimmed plate away therefrom, means preventing the conveying means conveying away a plate, means controlled by the operator for throwing the preventing means out of action, and means for restoring the preventing means to action after a plate has been conveyed away.'

4:. A stereotype plate machine including in combination mechanism for trimming a plate, a conveyer for taking away the trimmed plates, and means set by the operator to prevent the conveying means taking away a plate from the trimming mechanism without stopping the conveyer.

A stereotype plate machine including in combination mechanism for trimming a plate, a conveyer for taking away the trimmed plates, and means set by the operator to cause the conveying means to take away a plate from the trimming mechanism without stopping the conveyer.

6. A stereotype plate machine including in combination mechanism for trimming a plate, a conveyer for taking away the trimmed plates a device movable to permit or prevent the conveyer taking away a trimmed plate without stopping the conveyer, said device being movable by the operator into position to permit the conveyer to convey away the plate.

7. A stereotype plate machine including in combination mechanism for trimming a plate, a conveyer for taking away the trimmed plates, a device movable to permit or prevent the conveyer taking away a trimmed plate without stopping the conveyer, said device being moved to the preventing position when the conveyer conveys away a finished plate.

8; A stereotype plate machine including in combination mechanism for trimming a plate, a conveyer for taking away the trimmed plates, a' device movable by the operator to prevent the taking of a plate and movable by the mechanism to permit the taking away of a plate without stopping the conveyer.

9. A stereotype plate machine including in combination mechanism for trimming a curved plate, a conveyer for taking away the trimmed plates, trackway whereon the plate rests upon its edges and along which it is slid by the conveyer, a device movable to permit orypreventrthe conveyer taking away a trimmed plate, said device beingmovable into one of-said positions by the operator and means in the machine for moving it automatically intothe other'of said positions. r

10. A stereotype plate machine including in combination mechanism for trimming a plate, a conveyer for taking away the trimmed plates, a device movable to permit or prevent the conveyer taking away a trimmed plate, and means actuated only when the conveyer takes away a plate for moving said device to the preventing position.

11. A stereotype plate machine including in combination a trimming-station provided with plate trimming means, a cooling station, plate conveying meansada-pted to remove a plate without stopping the conveyer from the cooling station when it also removes a plate from the trimming station to the cooling station, and means for permitting or preventing the conveying means taking a plate from the trimming station.

12. A stereotype plate machine including in combination plate trimming mechanism, a yieldingly supported conveyer hook trave ingtoward and from the trimming mecha nism at a level to take a trimmed plate, anda tripper movable into and out of position to deflect the hook from said level to control the taking away of the trimmed plates.

13. A stereotype plate machine including in, combination plate trimming mechanism, plate cooling mechanism, a trackway for the plates from the trimming mechanism past the cooling mechanism, a yieldingly supported hook traveling toward and from the trimming mechanism and above and past a plate at the cooling mechanism, a tripper positionable todepress the hook either to engage v a trimmed plate or 'to miss the trimmed plate.

14. A stereotype plate machine including in combination plate trimming mechanism, plate cooling mechanism, a trackway for the plates from the trimming mechanism past the cooling mechanism, a yieldingly supported hook traveling toward and from the trimming mechanism and above and past a plate at the cooling mechanism, a tripper positionable to depress the hook eitherto engage a trimmed plate or tomiss the trimmed plate and manually setta'ble means for positioning the tripper.

A stereotype plate machine including in combination plate trimming mechanism, plate cooling mechanism, a trackway for the plates from the trimming mechanism past the cooling mechanism, a yieldingly supported hook traveling toward and from the trimming mechanism and above and past a plate at the cooling mechanism, a-tripper positionable to depress the hook" either to engage a trimmed plate or'--to miss the trimmed plate and manually settable means for positioning the tripper, and means operable automatically when a plate is conveyed away from the trimming position to set said tripper to cause the hook to miss a succeeding plate at the trimming mechanism.

16. A stereotype plate machine including in combination mechanism for trimming a semi-cylindrical plate, plate cooling mecha nism, a trackway for a semicylindrical stereotype plate extending from the trimming mechanism past the cooling mechanism, a guideway extending longitudinally above said mechanisms, a conveyer carriage and a conveying hook yicldingly supported thereby and adapted to engage within the curved plate, means for continuously traveling said carriage past the cooling mechanism and to and from the trimming mechanism and a trip settable by the operator to engage the conveying hook to permit or prevent it taking a plate from the trimming mechanism.

17. A stereotype plate machine including in combination mechanism for trimming a semi-cylindrical plate, plate cooling mechanism, a trackway for a stereotype plate extending from the trimming mechanism past the cooling mechanism, a guideway extend ing longitudinally above said mechanisms, a conveyer carriage and a conveyer hook yieldingly supported thereby, means for contin uously traveling said carriage past the cooling mechanism and to and from the trimming mechanism, and a trip settable by the operator to change the elevation of the hook at the trimming mechanism to control the taking or leaving of a plate, and means operated by the conveyor carriage when conveying away a plate for restoring the set trip.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

ALBERT A. HENZI.

Witnesses:

Josnrrr J. WALSER, CONRAD MALOZEWSKI.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

